Value on Long's Head?

[Hoop Blah]

Again, another indication that there isn't a release clause in Long's contract.

Which is very interesting as if that's true because it's a break from what we've kind of been told is the norm for the club these days (not just from the likes of Dirk but I'm sure Hammond and McDermott have hinted at it too).

It could just be that the figure we negotiated with Long before Christmas was just very high of course.

As much as this may just be paper talk, and the nationals won't have a lot of insight into the way we handle transfers remember, it does seem that we're holding out for a figure as opposed to clubs knowing what they have to hit in order to trigger it.

Also, it's worth bearing in mind that even if he had a £20m release clause it doesn't mean we couldn't accept £5m for him.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Again, another indication that there isn't a release clause in Long's contract.

Which is very interesting as if that's true because it's a break from what we've kind of been told is the norm for the club these days (not just from the likes of Dirk but I'm sure Hammond and McDermott have hinted at it too).

It could just be that the figure we negotiated with Long before Christmas was just very high of course.

As much as this may just be paper talk, and the nationals won't have a lot of insight into the way we handle transfers remember, it does seem that we're holding out for a figure as opposed to clubs knowing what they have to hit in order to trigger it.

Also, it's worth bearing in mind that even if he had a £20m release clause it doesn't mean we couldn't accept £5m for him.

It may be that Long has agreed not to invoke the release clause - which he might well have done if he's been promised that he is allowed to move. Everyone knows that any bid will be over the release clause value, and everyone knows he's moving, so why invoke it? Release clauses are generally when a player wants to leave but isn't allowed to.

He'd be happy with a bidding war, as he gets a percentage of the transfer fee - and it'd be a win-win for both RFC and the player, both doing the decent thing for each other.

Admittedly, without a bidding war he might get a bigger pay-off as a club buying him might up this with the transfer money they saved, but I just think he's not motivated to move just for money, and that the relationship between him, BMc & RFC might mean he's happy to move for as big a fee as possible.

[Hoop Blah]

Why would any club be willing to pay over the odds for a player though?

I can't see Long or his agent passing up the opportunity to, for example, tell Everton that he's available for £4m and so be able to negotiate for a slice of the £3m saving on the fee to be added to his wages or signing on fee.

Long and his agent will want as many clubs vying for Longs services as possible and so it wouldn't make sense to restrict those interested by concealing the release clause.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Perhaps he's a decent, genuine bloke who loves Reading FC and is trying to do the best for the club and the manager who made him?

It's unlikely, I admit, but not completely unknown, and if it was ever going to happen Shane Long would be the sort of player to do it and Reading the sort of club. The relationship between the two, and the relationship between BMc & SL are key here

We all know he's not moving for money but for career reasons, so it's a possible scenario in my mind - I wouldn't be surprised also if he's taking advice from BMc on which club would be best for him to join.

Not everyone is football is a greedy pcunt, and not every football agent is either - Kevin Doyle, for instance doesn't actually have an agent as such (he uses lawyers, etc. as required but makes his own career decisions with his Dad) - and I wonder if Shane Long has a similar arrangement.

[Hoop Blah]

I think it more likely that they'd have agreed not to bother with a set fee when they signed the new contract last season to be honest.

They may have said they'd just trust each other instead. I think that's more likely because I just think other clubs would get that information on the figure if it existed (it may be at the £7m that Lennon quoted the other day of course and this £10m is just rubbish made up by the paper).

I can't see any club or manager being happy to sign Long if they thought he was stinging them for a few million just to help out his old club. That's just not the way to start with a new club and isn't the action of a 'decent chap' even if it would work in our favour.

[Reading777]

I wouldn't be suprised if clubs interested in purchasing Shane Long don't just wait until the January transfer window, 1 to get him significantly cheaper and 2, to see if he can maintain the 2nd half of last seasons form.

The prices being paid and banded about for players if his kind at present seem a little crazy with all the debt in the game. As a fan of RFC, I'd love to see him stay until at least Christmas (then who knows if were doing well) but my head tells me they may well force him out should an offer come in that suits the clubs financial requirements.

[Elmer Park]

Re: the release clause. I have been meaning to ask for some time where the perception that Long has a release clause came from.

I don't remember reading anything about it in the media or on the OS and the only place I think I have seen it referred to is on HNA. However the people who have posted about it are people who are on the ball on all matters Madstad and whose information is usually accurate so I know they wouldn't have referred to a release clause unless they had seen or heard about one. It would also make sense given his relatively recently agreed contract. Can anyone clarify things for me ?

As for Long's value the media don't really seem to know what we are asking. Firstly they took at face value Sir John's flippant remark where he plucked the figure of £20 million out of the air which was clearly not serious. Then I saw figures of £4 million and £5 million referred to in the press followed by an interview with Neil Lennon where he was quoted as saying RFC were asking £7 million. Now I read a figure of £10 million.

No disrespect to Shane but if we are going to hold out for that figure I cannot see any Club paying quite that amount yet equally, unless he is going to sign a new contract, I cannot see how the Club can not cash in on him. As with all our players IF they are going to leave we need it to be early enough to get replacements well before the start of the season so I hope Shane's future is settled in the next few weeks with the best outcome from my point of view being him signing a new contract. If he isn't willing to do so the Club need to be careful they don't play silly sods with the asking price and end up selling the player on August 31st for the sort of deal which could already have been done by now.

None of this of course takes into account the players wishes.

[rhroyal]

If these valuation rumours are true, it's a very big statement of ambition from the club as realistically, he shouldn't be worth that. Especially with 1 year left on his contract. If we have set that value (paper talk, far from definite) and we stick to it (once again not definite), expect Long to be a Reading player come September.

How much would we get for him in January? He could well leave then if promotion's not looking likely.

[TBM]

Long is holding out for a club near to Reading......his missus doesn't want to leave Newbury area due to her family etc, so its either leave her or play for a southern side.

[Ian Royal]

Perhaps Long's in no hurry to leave and is happy to let RFC try and hold out for big money for a month, but if no firm offers are forth coming he's agreed with the club they'll drop the price. For example if nothing's done by 20 July they'll agree to drop from £10m to the highest indication from any of the interested teams... maybe down as low as £3m - £5m.

That still gives us a month to bring someone in and we'll know our targets and back up targets already.

Alternatively he may have agreed to hold out for £10m this window and if it doesn't happen and we're not top 3 by Xmas he can go for much less.

All just speculation of course.

[redscot]

After reading the posts here, it seems a lot easier just to keep Long than to try and figure out how much he is worth....

[Woodcote Royal]

It's not that difficult but some seem incapable of appreciating just how much he is worth to a top flight club that can't afford to spend £15m+ on a striker but believes Long is good enough to score regularly at that level.

Some comments beggar belief. Apparently, he's not worth £7m? because his contract expires next year So, in a league where strikers are changing hands for up to £50m it would be better to hang on in the hope of getting the player for next to nothing whilst he's already dirt cheap in Premiership terms and when, as we are only too aware (thanks, Steve) relegation is a far more costly business.

For anyone who believes our 24 year old striker is good enough to score 15 goals a season in the worlds richest league, £10m represents excellent value and his record for us last season alone makes him worth a punt at £5m for those who are yet to be convinced.